Two million people miss tax return deadline

More than two million people missed a self-assessment tax return deadline, but still have a month to file before they are hit with a penalty.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said that 630,000 completed the online process on Monday, the final day before the cut-off, leaving 2.3 million still to file.

However, the tax authority will not fine those who are up to a month late.

Interest will start to be accumulated from now on any unpaid tax, so HMRC is urging people to get organised quickly.

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More than 12 million people, including the self-employed and those with more than one source of income, are required to complete self-assessment forms. The vast majority do so online by the deadline of 31 January. There is an earlier deadline for returns on paper.

Some 21,000 people completed their return in the last hour of the day on Monday.

For the second consecutive year, the normal £100 fine for filing late online will be waived by HMRC until the end of February, given some people have been delayed by Covid.

"I'd like to thank the millions of customers and agents who sent us their tax return and paid in time for this week's deadline," said Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's director general for customer services.

"We're waiving penalties this year, to give those who missed the deadline an extra month."